Lukaku: Why I thrive at Everton

“The role that I have with Belgium is not at all like the one I have here.

“Here everything is directed towards me, in the last 30m but also on the rest of the pitch.

“My team-mates wonder all the time: ‘Where is Romelu? OK, he is over there. We are going to play with him’.

“In the national team, we also play 4-2-3-1 but we are a lot more stationary. And when you see Eden [Hazard], Kevin [De Bruyne] or Dries [Mertens] playing for their clubs, there is a lot more movement.

“You, analysts, you say: ‘The strikers don’t score enough.’ But for Belgium, the role of attackers is not to score. You are in reality a pivot.

“It’s the coach who says what we have to do. I cannot tell Eden , Kevin, Yannick [Ferreira Carrasco] or Dries how they should play.

“We do what the coach says. I can just tell them how we do it at Everton.”

Everton's Romelu Lukaku misses a penalty during the Barclays Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday March 5, 2016. See PA story SOCCER Everton. Photo credit should read: Dave Thompson/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

17:27Neil Jones

Chelsea tickets

17:26Neil Jones

Broadhead on target as Wales U19s win

17:20Neil Jones

Lukaku: Why I'm better for Everton than Belgium

17:19Neil Jones

Snods, Joe Royle, free bar and a pie

An offer you can’t refuse

17:16Neil Jones

Welcome to Everton, Farhad Moshiri

There you go...

16:33Neil Jones

Nathan Broadhead on target for Wales U19s

Pure talent, this lad

16:27Neil Jones

Moshiri deal OK'd

Story to follow on the ECHO site shortly, but Moshiri’s purchase of a 49.9% stake in Everton has been OK’d by the Premier League

16:22KEY EVENT

Moshiri's Everton share purchase ratified by the Premier League

Good news for the Blues

15:56Neil Jones

Cleverley and Stones

Doyley tells me this was a very well-attended event

15:52Neil Jones

Speedo Mick has raised over 23k so far

15:48Neil Jones

Speedo Mick at Finch Farm

15:41Neil Jones

Roberto Martinez = Mike Walker?

In case you missed this...it’s powerful stuff

15:35Neil Jones

Telegraph: Everton players losing faith in Martinez

Ooof!

15:33Neil Jones

News from Sunderland: Margaret Byrne resigns

Least surprising news of the week?

15:25Neil Jones

Wales U19s - Nathan Broadhead

No goals for the Everton youngster yet, but Wales flying...

15:14Neil Jones

Cleverley and Stones back Sport Relief

Ian Doyle is down at this event, look out for an interview with Clevz later

(Sorry for calling him Clevz)

14:55Tom Marshall-Bailey-LE

Handover

Right, that’s your lot from me today folks.

I’ll be back at the weekend so see you then.

Neil Jones, sporting what looks to be a fresh crew neck jumper especially for this afternoon’s stint on the blogs, will see you through until this evening!

14:30David Prentice

Why Martinez must beware spectre of Mike Walker

The role of worst manager in Everton’s history is unchallenged.

By almost universal consensus Mike Walker holds that unfortunate tag.

His managerial reign was so ignominious it lasted barely 11 months. And even that was very close to being two months too long, with Everton needing one great escape four months after he took over, and then another, three months after the worst start to a season in the club’s history.

Everton will not need a great escape this season because Roberto Martinez is an infinitely more convincing manager than Walker.

Everton fans react to Martinez comments

WATCH: Everton U21s go down narrowly at Sunderland

Kieran Dowell’s stunning free-kick was as good as it got for the young Blues last night.

Watch full highlights below.

13:01KEY EVENT

Saha: Lukaku 'perfect' for Manchester United

Former Manchester United and Everton striker Louis Saha has claimed Romelu Lukaku would be the “perfect” signing for the Reds this summer.

Lukaku has been in superb form this season, netting 18 goals in 28 Premier League appearances, and has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park.

Saha told IBTimes UK:

“I have to admit that I rated Lukaku highly when he was at Chelsea, when he was young.

“I could see he was not ready, but now he has performed really well at Everton.

“And definitely he will bring something to the United side because he is strong, he has got that presence to trouble the central defenders.

“With someone like Lukaku on United’s side, especially his presence around the box, along with [Anthony] Martial playing on the left and [Wayne] Rooney also linking with Lukaku, it will be great.”

12:35

Looking for the Toffees

12:30KEY EVENT

Martinez: Everton do NOT have a weakness on crosses

Hmmm, unconvincing...

This was Roberto’s response to Michail Antonio’s quotes this weekend about ‘targeting’ the Blues aerially.

“It’s easy to talk, especially when you’ve won a game.

“When we were 11 against 11, we were the better team and scored the goal to go ahead. Then we had to change things tactically and with 10 men you wouldn’t have seen a difference – it was like we had the extra man.

“Then we scored another goal from open play and controlled the game completely and never got done on crosses in that period.

“It’s more that we felt we had something to lose. Winning the penalty was a massive high but then missing it was an emotional low, and all of a sudden we gave West Ham momentum that unfortunately they got a big reward from.

“It’s not like they bombarded the box. They had two crosses and scored two goals, that’s bad defending rather than having a (specific) weakness.

“For the first 78 minutes we were defending extremely well. We scored 14 goals and conceded only two in the previous six games, and in anyone’s eyes that a well-balanced team and s good defensive display.”

Michail Antonio (1st R) of West Ham United scores his team's first goal on Saturday

12:27

Watch: Kieran Dowell scores brilliant free kick

Another beauty...

11:17

The stats continue to make for grim reading

And 14 of those have come this season!

10:21KEY EVENT

Report: Everton scouting Toulouse defender

Everton have reportedly been taking a look at Toulouse defender Issa Diop.

France Football claim the Blues, along with Crystal Palace, have been keeping a close eye on the 19-year-old this season.

He made his league debut on November 28, and has since started every single Ligue 1 game from that date, playing in the centre of Toulouse’s defence.